Akercocke

Late 2017 our heart jumped for joy when we are able to add the resurrected London-based extreme metal combo Akercocke to the line-up. From their self-released 1999 debut ‘Rape of the Bastard Nazarene’ to ‘Renaissance in Extremis’ (2017), their brand of progressive blackened death metal has always been the odd one out. The new record is their first since returning from hiatus and their first in a decade. As delicate as a Neanderthal tribe war, the brutal death metal flurries are combined with melancholic passages and grippingly dramatic vocals and underscored with complex drum patterns. Add in their gentleman image and outfits – they’re as likely to perform in a suit and tie as they are to mount the stage in traditional metal apparel – and you’ve got a refined form of extreme metal that doesn’t compare with any other band. (#GMM18)